Training of specialists in the field of automation of buildings and structures at MGSU: history and development prospects.
The history of training engineering personnel in the automation of buildings and structures (gas stations) is relatively young.
As an independent specialty, “Automation of technological processes and production (in construction)”, has existed for less than 50 years, and the specialization “Automation of engineering systems and equipment of buildings and structures” within this specialty is only about a quarter of a century old.
However, the first training programs that can now be attributed to the gas station specialization appeared much earlier.
Despite the fact that this specialization was formed in our country relatively recently, it has already firmly established itself in many civilian universities in Western Europe and North America.
Although this situation is typical for many other countries, we will consider the relevant range of issues mainly using the example of the Department of Automation of Engineering and Construction Technologies (AIST) of Moscow State University of Civil Engineering.
Due to necessity, specialists from other fields were the first to start professional activity in the field of petrol stations, and the department for training automation engineers was formed only in 1960.
Its creation was preceded by a great deal of preparatory work, initiated by the faculty of “Heat and Gas Supply and Ventilation” (TGV).
At the end of the 50s of the last century, two disciplines were introduced into the program for training construction engineers and plumbers at the faculty: “Automation of Heat and Gas Supply and Ventilation Systems” and “Control and Measuring Instruments and Automation”.
The preparation and teaching of these disciplines was carried out by teachers of the Department of Heat Supply and Gas Supply and the Department of Heating and Ventilation.
The professor of the first of them, Doctor of Technical Sciences L.G. Skritsky, a specialist in the field of non-stationary and thermal modes of networks and their automation, can rightfully be considered the founder of the new graduation department.
He became its first head, worked in this position until 1972 and determined the main paths of its development for many years.
Since its establishment, the department has paid primary attention to two main areas of activity: methodological support for the courses taught and scientific research on the problems of automation of engineering systems and equipment of buildings and structures.
In the first years of its work, the department relied mainly on the works of L.G. Skritsky, whose first book, “Control and automation of heat supply systems,” was published in 1948, and the textbook “Automation in heat and gas supply and ventilation systems” was published in 1957.
A special role belongs to his textbook “Fundamentals of automation and automation of heat and gas supply and ventilation systems”, published in 1968.
The high scientific level of this work at that time largely determined the further development of gas station systems. At the same time, laboratories for technological measurements and devices, automatic regulation, modeling and optimization of systems were created at the department.
Later, in 1986, students and followers of L.G. Skritsky wrote and published new textbooks for universities: “Automation and automation of heat and gas supply and ventilation systems” and “Automation of water supply and sanitation systems”.
In 2005, the textbook “Automatic control” was published for students of construction colleges and technical schools studying in the specialty “Installation and operation of internal plumbing devices and ventilation”, and in 2007 – the textbook “Automation of water supply and sanitation systems” for the specialty “Water supply and sanitation”.
Over the years of its existence, the department has trained more than 500 engineers on the problems of gas stations, including for a number of countries in the CIS, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, many of whom have become leading specialists in their countries.
The department has always been highly demanding of the scientific level of work performed by its employees and graduate students.
In 1992, at the initiative of the department, a dissertation council was organized for the defense of candidate dissertations at MGSU in the specialty «Automation and management of technological processes and production (in construction)», and from 1999 to the present, this specialty is also represented in the doctoral dissertation council.
Over the past few years, two doctoral and seven candidate dissertations have been prepared and defended at the department on issues directly related to gas stations.
The successes in training engineering and scientific personnel could have been more significant if this were not hampered by some organizational and general methodological reasons.
The main reason for this is that in recent years two, to some extent opposing, trends have become clearly evident.
One of them is connected with the transition from conducting research and practical developments by groups formed from representatives of different specialties to performing this work by specialists who are to a certain extent familiar with almost all aspects of the problems being analyzed.
Another trend is associated with the emergence of specialists who strive to constantly deepen their knowledge in a particular area, for example, in the automation of air conditioning and ventilation systems, systems analysis or mathematical modeling.
The first of these trends is supported by numerous customers of petrol station systems, who believe that quickly obtaining an acceptable solution to a problem is more appropriate than finding its optimal solution after a long and detailed analysis.
These customers prefer those specialists in petrol stations who are able to correctly use the knowledge and practical experience they have already acquired, rather than those whose inclinations and abilities are more focused on creative research that ensures the expansion and deepening of existing knowledge.
The second trend is supported by the entire system of domestic higher education, which primarily encourages works and publications containing the results of research of a creative, exploratory nature.
The presence of these trends leads to a certain polarization of the interests of specialists in petrol stations, which complicates the solution of issues related to the training of highly sought-after professional personnel.
Such polarization, expansion of the scope of application and deepening of knowledge, as well as the constant development and improvement of relevant curricula and programs lead to the need to consider the system of training specialists in petrol stations in different aspects.
The author's experience in this area allows us to identify at least four main forms of training specialists that are in demand at present.
The first of these involves training certified specialists in petrol stations at universities and colleges, as well as training in special courses, the completion of which is certified by a corresponding diploma.
The second form should include completing a rigorous training program in short-term courses (lasting from two to six to eight weeks) and attending popular lectures and practical classes organized at universities for non-students.
There should be no mandatory requirements for students of such courses in the educational process, but they should receive special certificates of completion.
The third form may include participation in conferences of professional societies, symposiums and seminars, as well as familiarization with relevant literature. And finally, the last, fourth form of training is on-the-job training while performing specific work related to solving automation problems.
The training of specialists in the first, basic form in construction universities has a number of features associated, first of all, with the well-known conservatism of the system of higher professional education as a whole.
Unfortunately, today faculties focused on promising information technologies are only just gaining a strong position in construction universities.
It should be noted, however, that the curricula that form the basis of professional training of specialists at such faculties provide a natural opportunity to extend their content to the training of engineering and scientific personnel in the field of gas stations, which is currently implemented at MGSU.
An analysis of the situation in the system of multi-level training of specialists would be incomplete without mentioning advanced training courses and subject-oriented courses for specialists engaged in regular work at gas stations.
Due to the possible flexibility of constructing educational programs within the framework of this area, such a form of training should take a worthy place in the process of training specialists in the automation of buildings and structures in the very near future.
It should be noted with satisfaction that the existing educational, methodological and research potential of the AIST Department of the ISTAS Faculty of MGSU is capable of satisfying the growing demand for educational services in the field of gas stations within the framework of any of the above-mentioned areas.
Author:
Rulnov A.A.
Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of AIST, Faculty of ISTAS, Moscow State University of Civil Engineering